Chandigarh: Factories and commercial establishments in Punjab will now have to pay wages to workers through cheque or by crediting into their bank accounts.

The state government today directed all factories, commercial establishments and shops to pay wages to their workers either by cheque or directly transferring them online in the bank accounts, said an official spokesman of the Labour department, Punjab.

The direction is for the factories registered under the Factories Act, 1948 and shops and commercial establishments registered under the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1958.

The spokesman said the step is taken to ensure transparent labour relations besides checking exploitation and underpayment of workers.